In Gladiator II, director Ridley Scott brings two-time Oscar-winner Denzel Washington into his Ancient Roman world as Macrinus, a wealthy and powerful arms dealer whose scheming nature adds a new layer of intrigue to the story. Washington takes us behind the scenes of the long-awaited spectacle.

INDULGE: This is one of the few times that you have played an antagonist. Tell us about Macrinus and what attracted you to this role.

WASHINGTON: I don’t portray a villain. I don’t look at it that way. Macrinus is an ex-gladiator who wants to control Rome by any means necessary. I don’t think he was interested in the throne. I think he was interested in the power in controlling the emperor. And power is an addictive drug. Once you have it, you can’t live without it. I don’t think he thought others were qualified. I don’t think he thinks anyone is better or greater or smarter than him. And I love that!

INDULGE: What was it like to work with Paul Mescal?

WASHINGTON: Watching the boy get beat up was a lot of fun (laughs). God bless him, he is a hardworking young man and he has a bright future ahead of him. I look forward to seeing what the next twenty years look like for Paul. First of all, he’s a wonderful young man. And one of the things he brings is the he is a consummate professional and obviously very talented, very humble The sky is the limit for him. It was almost a bit of a proud father kind of thing for me, just watching him do his thing.

INDULGE: What was it like reuniting with Ridley nearly 20 years after “American Gangster”?

WASHINGTON: Brilliant. He is a master at the top of his form and it’s a privilege for me to get the opportunity again to work with him. He really put together a wonderful cast. He painted the canvas with different types of people and talents. It seemed like the whole was bigger than any one of us individuals. Ridley is a genius and he is a visionary. What he sees and how he puts it together. I don’t have to think or worry about anything just put the gear on and do my part.

INDULGE: The movie was shot on location in Malta. What as that like?

WASHINGTON: There’s a size and a scope that Malta brings, and (the landscape) is a character. It’s beautiful. It’s the greenest green I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what they put in the soil, but it’s just a beautiful place, beautiful people. You can get into character just riding to work. You can feel the history here and it was the perfect place to shoot and I’m glad I came here, and the people are even more beautiful than the island itself.

INDULGE: What can one look forward to in this movie?

WASHINGTON: Blood. Violence. Laughter. Beheadings…I think this is the biggest film I’ve been on. Big. It’s huge. It’s Cecil B. Demille on steroids! It’s not going to have a hundred guys, it’s going to have a thousand. It makes the job easy, because everywhere you turn you feel like you’re in that world. It was all a spectacle. Just the size of the damn colosseum! When people ask me what do you hope people will get from this movie, I say it depends on what they bring to it. In this case, don’t overthink it. Don’t bring anything. Bring some popcorn and whatever your favorite beverage is and just enjoy. It’s a ride. A spectacle.

— Kelly Fine

Gladiator II in theaters in the US on November 22.